We visit Mashiko village outskirt of Utsunomiya, capital of Tochigi prefecture. Making Mashiko famous is Hamada Shoji after he moved to Mashiko. Mas...
JR Utsunomiya station
Hamada Shoji Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum
Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art
Jonaizaka (Kyohan center and Mashiko ware shops)
Higeta Indigo Dye Studio
Cafe lunch in the bush setting
Saimyoji Temple (Statue of Laughing King of Hell)
JR Utsunomiya station
We visit Mashiko village outskirt of Utsunomiya, capital of Tochigi prefecture. Making Mashiko famous is Hamada Shoji after he moved to Mashiko. Mashiko ware was for daily use ceramics like pots, plates as such. Therefore it was not really an art, initially but since Hamada Shoji settled in this village, ｐractical utility and artistic beauty combine to make us comfortable life. Now Mashiko village accept a lot of artists from other area. Actually not only artists but entrepreneurs. You can enjoy nice Cafes in Mashiko. You can enjoy cups, plates using Mashiko ware and food itself is superb. So we visit this town and see museums and shops and also indigo dye factory. In Saimyoji temple, we can see a laughing King of Hell statue.
Guide fee
Transportation Utsunomiya-Mashiko
Admission fees (Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art 600 yen, Hamada Shoji Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum 800 yen)
Lunch at Cafe (own expense)
If you want to enjoy Nikko, please think about staying Nikko or Utsunomiya, I will take you around the night tour if you stay in Utsunomiya.
We had a great time in Nikko with Jack. He gave us a lot of information and kept 3 teenage boys engaged. We have a wonderful soba lunch at a local restaurant. A good time was had by all.
Thank you for your compliments. I'm glad to hear that you had a good time with me in Nikko. It's getting hot even in Nikko. I hope I will be your guide again next time you come back to Nikko.
Jack met us at the train station and after purchasing tickets for Toshogu shrine at the station (to avoid lines at Toshogu), we boarded a bus to the Imperial Villa. After that, we walked to Kanmangafuchi (the gorge with the jizo bosatsu statues), Taiyuin, Futarasan and Toshogu Shrine. We also stopped by Sambutsudo, but there was a special event taking place there so we couldn’t go inside, but we could still see the Buddha statues from the outside. Jack provided the historical background of the places we visited, and noted many interesting features and facts about each location. He also took us to a nice noodle shop for lunch, where we got to taste yuba, a local tofu delicacy. It was a delightful day, and our group (including a couple from Germany) would not hesitate recommending Jack as your guide for this tour. Thank you, Jack, for the great service you gave us last week!
My family and I had a lovely day out with Jack exploring Okunikko, he navigated the hairpin roads with ease and we were able to see all the beautiful waterfalls and lake Chuzenji. Our tour of Toshogu Shrine was also very interesting and Jack gave us lots of facts about the temples and shrines at this site, which makes it more memorable than if we had gone on our own. Jack was also very accommodating when I requested for my family of 5 to have a tour, and he organised a larger car so we could enjoy the day together. I would recommend Jack to anyone who wants to visit Nikko! I only wish we could spend more time in this beautiful place.
Thank you so much for your comment. It was a lovely day and we enjoyed the day with you and your family. We saw a knocked down old lady and an almost upsidedown car around out car park, didn't we? Hope no one was critical condition! Enjoy rest of your trip. Jack
Jack, our guide was incredible, super informative and very nice!! highly recommend this trip.